We Found Love
by sugar-quill-93
Summary: Draco and Hermione start to fall in love their 6th year but it ends when she leaves Hogwarts with Ron and Harry. But when she is left behind at Malfoy Manor, Hermione must face the Dark Lord and, scarier still, her feelings for Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

I no longer needed an alarm anymore to wake up at midnight. I had been doing it so deftly for the past two years, the alarm was stamped into my head and I woke up right at midnight, every night. So, without fail, I woke up just as the clock on the wall hit 12. I put on my shoes and my robes over my pajamas and pinned on my prefects badge. Without waking anyone, I tiptoed out of the dormitory and into the common room where Ron and Harry were still up working on homework

"Took you long enough," Ron said the second he saw me. He stood up, towering over me.

"Please," I answered, "It took me like five seconds to get ready. You two are still up because you guys didn't finish your essays."

"If you could just check it, Hermione," Harry pleaded, "please, please, please?"

I sighed, "Fine. But only after rounds."

"Get going then," Harry said. He leaned back onto the couch and picked up the familiarly battered copy of Advanced Potion Making he had been pouring over since the beginning of the year.

Ron and I set out.

"I'll check the first three floors and you can check the top three?" Ron suggested.

"That's fine with me," I answered, "And listen, if you catch anyone out of bed, you need to report them. Don't just let it go."

"Why?" Ron said, "Because they could be brewing Polyjuice Potion?"

I felt myself blushing, "No, we were smart enough to do that in broad daylight. They could actually be doing something dangerous, you know, with everything going on."

He nodded in agreement. We separated as he set off down the stairs and I set off up another flight. Rounds were second nature now. The castle at night before was a scary place, but now it was mysterious and intriguing. Harry used to lend us the Marauder's Map but after we caught Crabbe and Goyle trying to torture a little second year boy into stealing food, we decided the best way to do them was on foot.

After searching the fourth floor, I ascended up to the fifth floor landing. The Room of Requirement was on this floor and though only a select number of students actually really knew what it was, it was still a hot spot for unruly kids.

Usually there would be voices coming from the bathroom near the Room, spoken between two kids learning about love, or by a client and drug dealer, or once even between Moaning Myrtle and a kid. Usually I let them go because I was too tired to reprimand kids for being kids, or because I thought it was adorable how they would sneak around. But this year was different now that the kids knew Voldemort was back. There was a significant amount of danger in the air, which was heightened at night. So I made an effort to check everything.

Tonight, however, there were no voices coming from the bathroom. Instead, there was a sobbing. It was so quiet, at first I thought I was imagining it. But then there was a gasp of air and a splutter and the sobbing got louder. I ducked into the bathroom, assuming I'd see a lost little first year, but instead, the doubled over figure of Draco Malfoy loomed in the dark. And he was crying. I let out a gasp.

I thought I was being quiet, but apparently I had gasped quite loudly because Malfoy spun around.

"_Flipendo!" _he yelled as he saw me.

"_Protego!" _I managed to yell back. My shield charm was so powerful, the Knockback Jinx Malfoy had sent hurtling towards me deflected and hit the wall behind him, causing a huge chunk of the stone wall to come crashing down.

I saw it falling and I saw Malfoy dive out of the way and I chose my moment carefully, "_Expelliarmus!"_

Malfoy's body rolled underneath a sink and his wand soared gracefully into my hand.

"Give it back, Mudblood," Malfoy growled at me coming out from under his hiding spot.

"Oh Malfoy," I said, "If you really want it back, I guess Professor McGonagall can give it to you."

"Shut up, Granger, you're not gonna turn me in," he said coming closer to me. I saw that his cheeks were still shining, though now his face was covered in a fine powder.

"Uhm, why's that?" I asked. I didn't anticipate Malfoy's next move. He had grabbed my hand with his wand and twisted it around my back. He stood behind me and I felt his hot breath on the nape of my neck and one of his hands slid slowly down my arm to hold my wand hand so that I couldn't move it. I couldn't tell what I was more scared about, that he would break my arm or that he might touch my throat or even that he'd hex me. My heart was banging loudly against my chest.

I felt his other hand easily snatching his wand back. "Because, Granger," he breathed into my ear, "if you do, I'll hex you." He let my arm go.

I found the strength, and laughed, "Please, Malfoy. We both know I'm smarter than you and we both know that if you even try to hex me, you'll be the one ending up in the hospital wing."

He seemed to contemplate the truth in my statement for a minute. "Fine," he conceded, "But you still can't tell McGonagall." This time, I heard a bit of desperation in his voice and curiosity curled over my heart and settled it back down.

"I'll make you a deal," I said, leaning against a wall and trying to look completely nonchalant, though on the inside my brain was on fire with questions.

Malfoy walked closer to me and put a hand up onto the wall next to me, "What is it, Mudblood?"

I took a deep breath and involuntarily smelled him, a soft scent of soap and, strangely enough, cigarettes, "You tell me why you were crying and I won't turn you in for being out of bed."

Malfoy took a step back and the dizzying scent vanished, "You don't need to know anything, Granger."

"Not a problem," I said, "I'm sure McGonagall will want to know though."

"Shut it," he said back. He spent a moment contemplating and then, "Okay, I'll tell you."

"I'm listening," I said back. He came closer to me again and his smell filled my head again. It took me a moment to realize that he had peeled back his sleeve and that on his forearm was the Dark Mark. The contrast between the paleness of his skin and the dark jet black of the tattoo was jarring and I found myself staring. He jammed his sleeve back down.

"I'm a Death Eater, all right," he said, "The Dark Lord wants me to do job for him. And inside job, here at Hogwarts."

"Harry was right," I said before I could catch myself, "Harry was right about you!"

Malfoy moved in even closer to me and put both of his hands up, trapping me against the wall in between them, "Look," he said, "I didn't ask for this to happen, okay. I was crying because I can't figure out a way to do what He wants without hurting people. But I will find a way."

My heart was racing again, so hard and fast the room started to shake, "I have to tell McGonagall," I breathed, "I can't just let a Death Eater walk around Hogwarts."

"You can't!" Malfoy said with startling conviction, I saw him lift his wand and felt it press into my throat. The words I was going to say were snuffed out, "We had a deal."

My eyes were wide with terror and the way he was sticking his wand made them look directly into his eyes. The cold blue eyes had a mark of terror, just like mine did. His pale lips were mere inches away from mine, our ragged breathing was synchronized. I saw the arm he and been propping himself up on vanish from my peripheral vision and find my hand. Fear was suddenly replaced with sympathy, horror replaced with longing.

"You can't tell," he whispered. The breath of the words surrounded my face and made my brain go fuzzy. I found myself nodding and whispering an okay, against my entire nature. And then he drew back and started walking to the door. I was still paralyzed against the wall as he shot me a final glance and left the bathroom.

I don't know how I was standing there. It could have been a few mere moments or hours. Eventually, feeling crept back into my limbs, but my mind was still frozen with shock trying to contemplate all my feelings. I felt my hand in a death-grip around my wand and my feet start to move. They led me back to the Gryffindor common room where Harry was still sitting and reading his book.

"Hey, Hermione," he said. It was like my name broke the spell and my thoughts finally caught up with my actions.

I blinked several times, trying to clear the image of Malfoy's eyes out of mine, "Hey."

"You look like you saw a ghost or something," he joked, "Did you have an fun patrol?"

I cleared my throat. "No," I lied hoping he was clueless, "It was pretty boring. Nothing happened, no one out of bed. Do you still need me to check that essay?"

Harry smiled, "Nah, I'll take care of it tomorrow."

Of course he knew I was lying, but he knew I didn't want to talk about it.

"Sweet dreams," he said and I nodded back to him.

It was when I was finally in bed, curled safe and warm under the blankets, that it finally hit me, how stupid I was being for keeping Draco's secret. But a little voice in the back of my mind couldn't help but wonder why I had kept it in the first place.

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><p><strong>I ship Dramione waaaaay too much so there will definitely be more to come! <strong>

**Please Review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

The next four days and three nights passed in an indiscernible blur. But on the night of my next patrol it was like I was finally, actually, completely, awake. The horror of what had happened in the bathroom merely 96 hours ago made my knees go weak and my stomach clench. At the thought of Malfoy's wand against my cheek and the mark on his arm, I started dry heaving. But the worst part of the whole thing was my confusion.

My body was telling me that I was terrified, and in all honesty I was, but that nagging idiotic voice in my mind just wanted more. Every single second of the past four days, that voice was saying _go back, you have to go back_. And then my palms became inexplicably clammy and I felt a swoosh of heat in my between my legs. It was unbelievable how closely lust and fear were related. And with that, came the decision I had to make,_ would I tell or wouldn't I_?

But tonight, I would figure everything out. I had decided that I would patrol a different route tonight. If fate wanted me to see Malfoy again, I would go with it and continue to keep his secret. If I didn't see him, however, I would cast him from my mind and report him to Dumbledore. Now the clock was striking twelve and it was time.

Like before, I met with Ron and Harry in the common room. We exchanged some words but I couldn't really focus on them. I was on autopilot and had only one goal, which they weren't a part of.

"Want to take upstairs again Hermione?" Ron asked me.

"No," I answered automatically, "I'll go downstairs today."

"Okay then, see you back in the common room," he said and strode off into the darkness.

All of a sudden, my feet were glued to the floor. After all that planning and decision making, I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. What if I saw Malfoy again, what would he do to me? Would he curse me, hex me, jinx me? Or would he come close enough that I would be able to smell his tobacco and clean soap smell?

What would happen if I didn't see him? Would I be able to muster the courage to turn him in? _Oh please, you know you want him,_ said the little voice in my head. And then, my knees gave way and I found myself on the floor.

But no, I had made up mind about what to do and now just had to find the strength to do it. _Deep breaths, _I coached myself, _deep breaths_. I felt my legs regaining their strength and stood back up. _Just one foot in front of the other_, I thought.

I made my way down a flight of stairs and around the second floor. And then a funny thing happened, the roles that my body and my mind were playing reversed. In my head, I just thought _No Draco, no problem. _But instead of relief, my heart started beating louder and more anxiously. When the first floor turned up empty as well, my mind and body switched places yet again, my heart calming down, but my mind yearning to see him again.

And then I was in the dungeons underneath the school. I had patrolled here many times and it was always silent. But tonight, I heard voices, trying to maintain a whisper, but echoing.

"Where are you going," the first voice asked, it was female but I couldn't place it.

"Yeah, where are you going," asked a second. This voice was male and chillingly familiar, Goyle.

"Its none of your goddamn business," said a third. At this voice, my mind and body joined together, both silently screaming. It was Malfoy. I pushed myself back into the shadows against the wall.

I heard a door close and a single set of footsteps begin to walk away from me. Calming myself down, I started following.

"Going somewhere?" I said, trying not to let my voice squeak. At the sound of it, the footsteps stopped in their tracks, and after a brief pause began again.

Slowly, but surely, Draco Malfoy loomed out of the darkness. The light from my wand lit his features in a perverse way that made him look formidable but stunning at the same time. The pale blue eyes looked almost white in the light and the dark shadows forming on his white skin reminded me of the tattoo on his arm.

"Hello there, Mudblood," he sneered.

Realization hit me like a punch. What was I expecting, him to touch me, to start weeping again? His threats might have changed me, but he was the same old loathsome person. Rage bubbled through me and turned into rejected embarrassment as it surfaced. I could feel a blush staining my cheeks.

"Whoa there, Granger," he said, watching my cheeks grow pinker, "something on your mind?"

Words were stuck in my throat. I wanted to throttle him and curse him and hex him into oblivion.

"_Incarcerous_," I screamed without thinking. Malfoy hadn't been anticipating it either. Ropes sprung from my wand and wrapped around him, making him fall to the ground.

"What are you doing?" he spluttered as the ropes magicked themselves around him.

"Just thought that maybe tying you up first before I handed you in would be a bit more dramatic," I said, basking in my revenge and throwing all my planning out the window. I pulled my wand back a little, making the binding process slow down.

"You can't," he said, his voice filling with what I had thought to be genuine fear.

"You could fool me once," I said, squatting down to look him in the eye, "But if you fool me twice, that makes me the fool."

"Stop it," he said as the ropes slid around him. I didn't.

"I don't know if you heard," I continued, "but no one calls me a fool. Or a Mudblood."

"Seriously, Granger," Malfoy said, his voice calmer but tinged with fear, "That's what made you so angry? Me calling you Mudblood?"

I didn't answer, I didn't have to. Once the Binding Spell had done its job, it was off to Dumbledore with him and he would be out of my life and out of my head.

"Granger stop it," Malfoy said as the ropes forced his hands behind his back. I didn't.

"Granger," he whimpered again. Now the ropes were curling up his legs and his chest. They began to wrap around his neck.

"HERMIONE, STOP," he bellowed with surprising volume. But what was even more surprising was him using my name. The sound of it jerked me back to myself and I stood up sharply, ceasing the spell.

"What did you just call me?" I asked leaning back over him.

The ropes had loosened and Malfoy was massaging his neck. He didn't answer but continued to free himself.

"What did you just say?" I repeated. He looked up at me with those blue eyes.

"Hermione," he said, "That's your name, isn't it?"

Rage coursed through my veins once again, but I let it simmer down again.

"Get back to your dormitory," I said, "And I swear to god, if I catch you out after curfew again, I'm telling Dumbldore everything."

With one last glare into those haunting eyes, I started walking away. I had no idea why I had said what I had said. The words just spilled out of my mouth.

"_Incarcerous,"_ came Malfoy's voice flying through the air and the next thing I knew, I had fallen on my chest and his ropes were binding my hands together behind my back. My wand clattered to the ground, but the light didn't extinguish.

"Let me go," I threatened as I heard Malfoy's footsteps getting closer. I saw his black shoes stop in front of my face and struggled to arch my back and look up at him. But the struggle was unnecessary because he gave me a little shove with his foot and flipped me onto my back. I sat up. He leaned down and brought his face chillingly close to mine. The smell of cigarettes filled my nostrils.

"You know what, Mudblood," he said, "I don't think I will."

He began to walk away from me.

"Let me go!" I shouted, "or I'm going to scream."

"Shut it, Granger," Malfoy said stopping and turning around, "Save your breath. These are the dungeons, no one comes down here but Slytherins and I doubt they'll want to save your sorry ass. You attacked me first so you're gonna get it right back. Don't act like I did this unprovoked."

The truth rang in clearly in his words. And then the footsteps started again as he walked further away.

"Malfoy!" I yelled but the footsteps didn't stop.

"Someone will come get you in the morning," he laughed.

I took a deep breath as the ropes tightened around my chest. "And when they do, I swear on Merlin, I will tell them everything about you. Everything you're doing and exactly what you are!" I finished my sentence just before the ropes wrapped around my mouth.

The footsteps ceased and then started again. Suddenly, Malfoy was towering over me. His eyes were far above mine, but I could sense fear in them. Tension pulled at the muscles of his face. He pointed his wand at the ropes.

"_Diffindo_," he said in a quiet voice. The ropes severed down the middle letting me breathe freely again.

Red welts had formed where the ropes had cut into my wrists and I held my hands to my chest. Which is why I wasn't ready when Malfoy grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my body up. And then he slammed me into the wall. Startling pain, surprise, shock, tears streamed down my face as the back of my head collided with the stone wall.

"Listen up, Mudblood," he breathed menacingly into my ear as my chest heaved up and down. I was too shaken to think anything. "I'm getting sick of this little tattle-tale game of yours. And so, I'm ending it. You breathe a single word of what's going on and I'll personally make sure your life is a living hell."

I didn't dare breathe. I didn't dare move. Malfoy's hand was still tangled deep into my hair and his other hand was right next my face. I could see the control he had over me making him happier and happier.

"Here's the deal," he said, "So that we can forget about all of this. You meet me tomorrow night in the Room of Requirement, and I'll let you go. Understood?"

I gave the slightest of nods.

"Great," he said, "See you tomorrow night, Granger."

And then he was gone, leaving me the exact same way he had four days ago: paralyzed. Four nights ago, I was paralyzed with confusion. But tonight, I was paralyzed with spine-tingling, stomach-clenching, heart-stopping fear.

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><p><strong>Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it! If you did (or didn't) please, please PLEASE leave a review. It would mean the world to me and it'll help make the next chapters better too. THANK YOU!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Fear, I learned the next day, can mess with your mind in unimaginable ways. It warps normal things into terrifying ones and spreads like a disease into every cell in your body. You could be feeling totally okay, but fear will make your body turn to ash.

To say I was scared shitless was a grand understatement. I couldn't even bear to leave my bed the next day. Fear was playing cruel games with me, making me nauseous every time I tried to sit up, giving me a headache whenever I tried to turn, and haunting me with Draco Malfoy every time I closed my eyes. Every creak in the empty dormitory was him coming to curse me. Every shadow outside was him carrying on with his evil misdeeds. Every single second was poisoned by him.

There was no way that he could get into the Gryffindor common room, much less the girl's dormitory. But the worst was when I began to think about what was going to happen that night. Goosebumps spread down my neck to my hands and down my back and my legs whenever I even began to think about him and the Room of Requirement. The goosebumps seemed to be inside me as well, because my entire body went numb and cold. And then my stomach clenched and I could taste bile in my throat. And then shame stained my cheeks. I was supposed to be a strong, brave, Gryffindor, but I was cowering under the covers.

Fear also was also exhausting and it took every ounce of strength to fight my apprehension and get some sleep. But it felt like the moment I had drifted off, footsteps right by my bed woke me up.

I shot out of bed, wand clamped between my fingers.

"WHAT!" I screamed.

"Whoa there," said Parvati Patil walking from her bed to mine, "Why are you so worked up."

I was about to answer her, but the adrenaline that had suddenly coursed through my veins had vanished and the sickening fear had returned.

"I'm going to get something to eat, you want anything?" Parvati asked.

I heard her cross over to the door when I realized it was dark out and I could see the shadows of all the other girls fast asleep in their beds. "Hey, Parvati, what time is it?"

"One AM."

Now it felt like my stomach had disappeared. I was late and I had no idea what the consequences for that were. What would Draco do to me. Another round of adrenaline shot through me so I leapt out of bed and pulled on my cloak. I blew past Parvati blatantly ignoring her questions.

I was in the Room of Requirement in two minutes flat. A metal door was etched into the solid stone. With a great heaving breath, I opened it and stepped in.

The first thing I noticed was everything. Books in teetering masses, piles of broken furniture, heaps of discarded jewelry and broken statutes, torn mattresses, old clothes, shoes. Noises of backfiring brooms which limped overhead and the scratches and squeaks of rats filled the air, but beneath all the sound was the unmistakable dull hum of magic.

"Malfoy?" I shouted into the abyss of junk before me. There was no answer, so with another deep breath I trudged forward. The shadows and creaky noises were multiplied by a million here, each one of them tainted with Malfoy. Fear was making my knees weak and my chest sore but I convinced myself to continue.

"Hey!" I shouted again, stepping leaping over a suspicious looking puddle. To my left, a pile of debris rose sky high. To my right, a cabinet overflowing with papers. Ahead was just more of everything.

Suddenly I felt something clamp around my shoulder. I whipped my wand out.

"_REDUCTO!"_ I screamed.

The body of Draco Malfoy sailed across the room and landed on a pile of rubbish with a dull thunk. I stumbled backwards into a stack of books which immediately fell over. One of them started screaming, adding to the din of the room.

I was back on my feet in a moment and walked over to where Malfoy was struggling to stand. I put a foot on his back and pushed him back down, hard. Fear was gone, but the adrenaline in my system was coming from anger.

"Why can't we meet without trying to curse each other?" I scoffed taking advantage of the adrenaline still coursing through me.

Malfoy turned his head and looked at me with helpless eyes. I smirked, "Scared?"

Suddenly, his hands grabbed my ankle and dragged my feet out from underneath me. My head collided with the floor and immediately my eyes began stream. Just as my vision began to clear I saw Malfoy's face just inches from mine. He was sitting on top of me, pinning my arms to my side. His unbelievable cigarette and soap smell filled my body. My pulse was racing and fear had infected me yet again.

"Get away from me," I whispered.

"What was that, Mudblood?" he breathed into my face.

"I said, get away from me." Tears were stinging the back of my eyes again and I could feel a lump in my throat. I hated being so powerless.

He let out a sarcastic throaty laugh, "Oh Granger, I don't think so. The second I let you go, you'll try to curse me. So I'll tell you how this is going to work."

My entire body was heaving and I could feel my hips rubbing against his. Heat flared up between my legs again and I hoped to god Malfoy couldn't feel it.

"I'm going to take your wand, Granger," he said, "And you're going to help me. Understood. Or else, I'll make your life-,"

"A living hell." I said, completing his sentence.

"You _are_ smart," he said. I felt one of his hands slither down mine and his fingers on my hand. I didn't realize I was holding my wand in a vice-like grip until he began prying my fingers open one by one. It made my hand feel like it was buzzing with electricity

After what seemed like a lifetime, Malfoy got up. He put my wand in his jacket pocket and held out a hand for me. I looked at it, seriously contemplated kicking him in the crotch, and finally decided to ignore it as I stood up.

"Come on, now," he said, in a mock offended tone, "Don't be like that. We're working together now."

He knew that struck a nerve, but I just looked down at my shoes and decided not to give him the satisfaction of seeing me angry. I just brushed myself off.

"Just tell me why you need my help," I said.

"Right this way," he said jogging in front of me. I followed him, trying to keep up with his long legs. I hadn't realized how much taller he was than me. In fact, I barely reached his shoulder.

And then he stopped, right in front of a huge _thing_. It was covered in a sheet and emitting a faint buzzing noise.

"What is this," I asked.

"Not so fast," he replied, "You'll ruin the surprise, Granger."

Then he reached up and grabbed the sheet. It fell off gracefully to reveal a gigantic black box covered in little inscriptions and carvings.

"A vanishing cabinet?" I gasped.

I saw Malfoy nod. The gleam in his eyes had been replaced by confusion, "I can't figure out how to work it."

Curiosity had overtaken me. I approached it cautiously, putting hand up to feel the carvings. My mind was racing. What on earth was making Malfoy interested in a Vanishing cabinet?

"I've only read about these once," I said, "In Hogwarts A History. It said that Hogwarts used a have a Vanishing Cabinet so that the headmaster could leave if he ever wanted to, without lifting the Anti-Apparition Charm."

Malfoy stepped up next to me, "That's fantastic. How does it work?"

I shook my head, "Beats me."

"Seriously, Mudblood," he said, eyes smoldering, "I go through all this trouble to help you out, and you say, _'_beats me'?"

I looked at him and smirked, "When have you ever helped me? You know, I hit my head pretty hard when you knocked me down."

He smiled, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," I said, "I think I may even have a concussion. And I still have marks where you attacked me with those ropes."

I held out my hand and he went to pull up my sleeve, but I snatched my hands away before he touched them.

"You know," he said, now smiling, "I'm pretty sure I have marks too. And lets not forget you just blasted me back like 20 feet," with ever word he seemed to be getting closer to me, " I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me first."

I caught my breath. What had just happened? Were Malfoy and I flirting? No. No no no no no no. This wasn't happening.

"I have to go," I said quickly leaping backwards from the vanishing cabinet.

"So soon?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah, early class tomorrow," I lied, "I'll go to the library tomorrow and try to read some more."

I was talking a million miles per second now, backing up from Malfoy and the Cabinet and everything I was so scared of. Instead, a weird kind of guilt was filling me up. I saw the door of the Room surprisingly quickly and broke into a sprint. But it wasn't until I had reached Gryffindor common room that I realized, Malfoy still had my wand.

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><p><strong>Please please PLEASE review, and as always thanks for reading!<strong>


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